Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey spoke at a session of congress on May 13, 2008 mentioning Dominican University of California and our work with the Iraqi Student Project. Congresswoman Woolsey was the commencement speaker at the graduate commencement on on Friday, May 16, 2008.
Woolsey, Lynn [D-CA]
Special Orders
Begin 2008-05-13 19:44:45
End 19:49:14
Length 00:04:29
Ms. WOOLSEY: Madam Speaker, the civil war in Iraq has devastated the colleges and the universities in that country. It is estimated that thousands of students and professors have been forced to flee the violence, cutting short their studies and their academic careers.
A humanitarian organization called the Iraqi Student Project is trying to help. It's working with 15 American universities to identify quality Iraqi students and provide them with a tuition-free education here in the United States. The project, which was created by two Americans based in the Middle East, is modeled on the Bosnian Student Project of the 1990s, a project that brought approximately 150 Bosnian students to American colleges.
This Friday, Madam Speaker, I will have the honor of delivering the commencement address at the graduation ceremonies for Dominican University's graduate students. I'm proud to say that Dominican University in my district is one of the institutions working with the Iraqi Student Project. Dominican anticipates admitting two Iraqi students in September and waiving their tuition. Upon graduation, it is hoped that the students will return to Iraq to help that devastated country rebuild.
In the coming days, this House will have the chance to show that we, too, have the right priorities. We will be considering the 21st Century GI Bill. This is a bipartisan proposal that would provide a college education to our brave troops when they return from the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.
After World War II, Madam Speaker, the GI Bill sent millions of veterans to college. Everyone agrees it was one of the best investments our country has ever made. It fueled the post-war economic boom, vastly expanded our country's middle class, and made good of our Nation's solemn promise to care for our veterans.
But today, the GI Bill covers just half of the average cost of a college education. The proposed legislation would provide coverage for the full costs of going to a public university, and it would help with the cost of attending private university.
The need for this bill is great. It will help make the transition back to civilian life easier for our veterans and for their families. Many of those who have already returned home are unemployed or underemployed. They need a college education to help them succeed in the workplace, and our Nation, we need them to succeed to keep our economy strong.
But surprise, surprise. The administration doesn't share this view. Secretary of Defense Gates has expressed opposition to expanding education benefits. He has said that it would cause retention problems in the military because it would encourage troops to leave the service. I believe, Madam Speaker, that our troops have already done quite enough to help the military achieve its retention goals. Many of our troops have served two, three, and four tours of duty, and the number of troops who have been forced to stay in the service involuntarily through the Pentagon's Stop-Loss policies is actually rising in spite of the Army's promise to cut the number.
Our troops have done all that we have asked of them. They've done it again and again and again. It is true that the occupation of Iraq has stretched our military to the breaking point, but the solution to the problem is to end the occupation, not to ask our brave troops to give up their futures and not to ask them to give up a chance to get a college education.
The 21st Century GI Bill is the right thing to do for our veterans and the smart thing to do for our country. It's a win-win, and it has strong bipartisan support, and it will leave no veteran behind.
END
Print Page
Email to a Friend
RSS